Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Brianza

The Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 was designed by Vittorio Jano, who was already the creator of the earlier Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 sports car. He started working for Alfa in 1923, and immediately initiated the design of a new twin OHC grand prix car, the P2, which won the French and Italian GPs in 1924 and the Belgian and Italian GPs in 1925. The 6C1500 and 6C1750 models came in single and twin ohc form with the latter also being supercharged for the racing and fast touring. Alfa wanted to return to GP racing and Jano designed the 8C2300 which competed in long chassis (Le Mans form), short chassis (Mille Miglia form) and the ultra short chassis two seater racing car, the Monza.. The Alfa 8C-2300 was raced initially by the factory but later by many private entrants and teams, the most notable of the latter being including Scuderia Ferrari. The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Brianza: The engine fitted in the Alfa 8C-2300 was initially 2.3 litres but increased in 1934 to 2.6. Power from the straight eight, twin ohc unit with alloy block and cylinder head rose to over 170 hp. The assembly consists of two blocks of four cylinders each with its own cylinder head, separated and joined by the lower engine and a common crankcase. The Roots supercharger was installed on the right side of the engine block. The later versions adopted a Weber carburettor. This engine, combined with a four speed manual gearbox, mounted in a light body resulted in an incredibly high-performance motor car at the time. Anyone who has heard an Alfa 8C at full chat cannot forget this wonderful symphony, a concentration of un-restrained and progressive power. This engine is both synonymous with immense power and well-considered driveability; it is able to release the horsepower when required and yet proves to be very driveable at low speed. The dimensions of the 8C are identical to those of the 6C from which it is derived. The rare Monza versions have two seats and a still shorter chassis. The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Brianza can be recognised by the extra short front springs and the pointed tail bodywork, as well as the radiator shroud. Of 188 Alfa 8C-2300 models assembled between 1931 and 1933, only a small proportion were transformed into Monza versions by the small coachbuilder Carrozzeria Brianza. The lineage was clearly seen and the car could legitimately lay claim to 140 miles per hour. The competition career of the Alfa Romeo 8C is littered with wins and illustrious drivers. The Monza versions, specially derived in a few models, picked up a long list of prizes, at the hands of many drivers including Tazio Nuvolari.